ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast — On May 25, as Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave the dedicatory prayer for the Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple, 40-year-old Ivorian Latter-day Saint Sery Kone translated each word into French.
At one point, with his head bowed and eyes closed, Kone became visibly emotional while interpreting. It was one of the most powerful spiritual experiences of his life, he said later.
“It was overwhelming, a great blessing,” Kone said. “The words were so powerful and meaningful because they were expressing what the people of Côte d’Ivoire have been yearning for.”
Having endured a difficult childhood, Kone’s life changed when he met the missionaries, was baptized, served a mission and attended Brigham Young University–Hawaii. He returned to his country because he wanted to make a positive difference in the community and for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Kone is one of many Ivorian Latter-day Saints whose lives have been blessed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. He knows Abidjan’s new house of the Lord will bring blessings not only to individuals but also to families for generations to come.
Early miracles
At age 4, following his parents’ divorce, Kone was taken from his mother and left at his father’s village, hundreds of miles from Abidjan, where he experienced child labor working on a cacao farm for 10 hours a day with little food.
After six years, Kone escaped the village and returned to Abidjan in hopes of finding his mother’s family. He said he experienced his first miracle when he was welcomed into an orphanage and provided with shelter, but he still had to go out and work.
Another miracle came when he heard his name called.
“It was my uncle, my mom’s little brother, who recognized me in a city of five million-plus people,” he said.
‘All I needed to hear’
Kone was thrilled to find his family, but devastated when he found out his mother had died only a couple of months earlier. He became angry with God, lost hope and rejected his family’s Christian religion.
Acting defiant, Kone began inviting people of other faiths into the house and pretended to listen to them. One day he saw two Latter-day Saint missionaries and called them in. One thing they said captured his undivided attention.
“The plan of salvation — they taught me that I could live with my mother again," he said, adding that he also felt a connection to Joseph Smith. “That was all I needed to hear. I joined the Church two weeks later.”
Promise to the Lord
During high school, Kone feared failing because he lacked support. He prayed and promised the Lord he would serve a mission if the Lord would help him pass his exams.
Kone passed his exams, but instead of a mission, he opted to attend the university. His first year was disastrous, prompting him to reflect on his unfulfilled promise. He repented and was called to serve in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“It was one of the greatest experiences of my life,” he said. “I grew up thinking that I was very unlucky, that life had given me so many challenges. But in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, I met families that were going through a lot more than I went through, and it helped me appreciate the blessings of my life. I did teach a lot of people, but I think the only convert I got on my mission was myself.”
BYU–Hawaii
Following his mission, Kone was not readmitted to his previous university.
However, Kone saved up some money, learned English, and successfully applied and was accepted to BYU–Hawaii.
Kone loved his experience at BYU–Hawaii, where he not only gained an education, but made new friends from multiple countries. He came away with a deep desire to return and make a positive difference in his own country.
Since then, he has engaged in various service projects and established nonprofit organizations aimed at helping underprivileged children access education and empowering women to start businesses to support their families.
“Essentially, the goal was to make sure that no other child would go through the same difficult experiences I went through as a child,” he said.
‘The Church has been my family’
Since returning to Abidjan, Kone, a husband and father, has served faithfully in the Church as an elders quorum president, bishop and is currently serving as second counselor in the Ivory Coast Abidjan East Mission presidency.
“For me, having lived my life without parents teaching me what is right from wrong, the Church has been my family. It is where I learn everything — to forgive, to love God and trust Him," he said. “I’m grateful to have been a part of the team that helped with the organization of the open house and the dedication of the temple in Abidjan.”
‘Connection between earth and heaven’
As a student at BYU–Hawaii, Kone was serving in the Laie Hawaii Temple in 2015 when President Thomas S. Monson announced plans for the Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple. He remembers the joy he felt upon receiving calls and emails from friends and family, celebrating the historic moment.
“So for me to be standing here [on the temple grounds] feels very special,” he said on May 24, the day before the dedication.
Since the temple was announced, the Church in Ivory Coast has grown by 40,000 members, Kone said.
“It shows how the Lord is blessing this country and opening hearts and minds to His gospel,” said Kone, who thought tenderly of his mother during the dedication. “For us, this temple means a lot more than just a building ... it will be a connection between earth and heaven.”
